avatarMercedes O'Leary

Summary

The article discusses the artistry and structure in online writing, drawing parallels to the constraints and creativity found in poetic forms.

Abstract

The author reflects on their experience studying poetry, particularly the strict forms of villanelles, sestinas, and pantoums, and how these constraints paradoxically enable freedom of expression. They extend this analogy to online writing, suggesting that adhering to the rules of digital platforms like The Shortform can similarly inspire creativity and help convey a message effectively. The article likens the precision of biological patterns in nature, such as in wildflowers or snowflakes, to the underlying structure in online writing, emphasizing that what may appear random can be quite deliberate and mathematical.

Opinions

  • The author values the creative process that arises from working within the constraints of poetic forms.
  • There is an appreciation for the beauty and freedom that can be found within structured forms, both in poetry and online writing.
  • The author suggests that understanding and utilizing the rules of online platforms can enhance the writing process and the message being conveyed.
  • The article implies that the precision and structure in nature, which may seem random, can be an inspiration for the structured yet seemingly spontaneous nature of online writing.
  • By comparing online writing to fields of wildflowers or snowflakes, the author conveys a sense of wonder at the hidden order within apparent randomness.

Online Writing As Poetry

The Beauty and Freedom in Form

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I studied poetry in graduate school and enjoyed cramming my ideas into villanelles, sestinas, and pantoums. Like ballet, poetic forms are strict and demanding. By following rules, some other work is happening unseen, words and ideas are sparked by constraint.

In my poems, I would push a form as far as I could, then let it go, releasing the poem to find what it needed to be.

Online writing is a form too. Publications like The Shortform add their own rules and part of the play is figuring out how to make the rules serve your message.

Think of a field of wildflowers or snowflakes. Their randomness is actually biologically precise and mathematical.

Online writing can be too.

Poetry
Writing
Life Lessons
Inspiration
Productivity
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